Container



Sept.-22, 1936. J. M. HOTHERSALL I 2,054,817

CONTAINER Filed Sept. 8, 1955 Patented Sept. 22, 1936 PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER John M. Hothersall, Brooklyn; N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application' September s, 1933, Serial No. 688,676

2 Claims. (01. 220-24) The present invention relates to nozzle containers or cans for holding liquid and the like, and has as an object the provision of a closure or seal for the nozzle of such cans which cannot be opened or disturbed without detection so thatmalicious tamperingwith the can and substitution or adulteration of the contents is largely prevented.

. The invention contemplates the sealing of the nozzle of the can by a sealing disc applied over its discharge opening and when the can is opened only'a portion of the disc is removed; leaving a tell-tale rim' as an indicator that it is not an original seal.

The invention further contemplates the temporary 'reclosing of such an opened nozzle and provides for an auxiliary or reclosing cap which may form a unit part of the can during its transportation to the ultimate consumer and one go which is easily released when desired for application as a temporary closing element.

An object of the invention is the provision of an initial closing element for a nozzle can which is easily applied to the nozzle so that a secure :5 seal is obtained and this element may be easily broken for opening the' can but'not, however, without leaving an indication of the fact, thus preventing tampering with the can or its contents to the end that the ultimate consumer is so assured that the product contained in the can is genuine. a

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better under- I stood from the following description, which, taken 85 in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof. Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper end of a can embodyingthe present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the sealed nozzle illustrating its opening;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the auxiliary seal or reclosure cap showing in section certain holding elements by which it is temporarily secured to the can; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the opened nozzle and the reclosure cap conditioned for application to the nozzle. V. 7 One application of the use in which the present invention has been found valuable is in the canning of alcohol where substitution has been experienced, and it has been found that such practices jare accompanied by tampering either with the can or its closing elements. The present in- 65 ventlon contemplates the use of a seal which readily shows it either as genuine or as having been tampered with and for the purpose of exemplifying such, the drawing discloses a container II having a top or cover member i2 in which is 10- catedanozzle i3 (Fig.2). The top maybe secured 5 to the container after it has been filled in any suitable manner, a permanent seam l4 being shown.

The nozzle I3 is permanently united with the can top l2 in any suitable manner as by a double 10 seam I5 and is formed with an annular shoulder IS. The outer or upper edge of the nozzle is curled inwardly at H to provide a reenforced rim portion which surrounds a discharge opening 18 of the nozzle through which the contents of 16 the can may be dispensed, it being unnecessary to remove the cover l2 or disturb its seam i4.

A sealing disc 2| is provided for closing the nozzle havingscore lines 22 partially cut through the disc wall to provide a weakened section and 20 gagement between the seal and the nozzle and closes the can at this place. 9

To open the can it is only necessary to break through the score line 22 and remove the part 23 from the disc. This may be done in any suit-. able manner as by the use of a sharp instrument, indicated generally by the numeral 26, as shown in Fig. 2.

The opened nozzle is best illustrated in Fig. 4

' and it willv be observed that a rim of the sealing disc 2 i, including the parts 24, 25, remains in place upon the nozzle. Even a partial breaking oi. the seal 2| leaves an indication of such opening of the can and the removable area 23 cannot be put back and the sealing disc used as a seal without such indication. 45

Thecontents of the can is not always used at once and a reclosure member is useful to temporarily close the can during such timeuntil its contents have been used. Accordingly a reclosure' or auxiliary closure is provided for each can. Such a reclosure comprises a flexing cap 3| formed with a raised dome or bulged center portion 32 which 'is surrounded with an annular flange 33, the outer, part 'of which is bent down to provide a depending skirt 34 slit at intervalsto form segmental locking fingers 35 which have inwardly bent engaging flanges 36. Y

The reclosure cap 3| is preferably removably secured to the top l2 and for this purpose a holding member 4| is provided which is preferably formed with an encircling wall 42 adapted to fit over the outside of the locking fingers 35 of the cap and to prevent their flexing while holding the cap on the can.

The wall 42 is extended at right angles at two or more places along its bottom edge as lugs 43 which rest on and are secured to the top l2 in any suitable manner as by spot welding. When carried with the can (as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3) the flexing cap 3| is entirely enclosed within the holding member 4| except for its domed central portion 32 which extends upwardly into an annular space 44 cut out in the top wall of the holder.

A tearing tab 45 is preferably formed as an integral part of the top wall of the holding memher and tearing slits 46 are cut through the top and partly through the encircling side wall of the member at the base of the tab. When an opened can requires a reclosure the tab 45 may be pulled up and back to tear along the slits 46 and rupture the encircling wall 42. This action releases the flexing cap 32 from the can and the cap is then lifted from its position and placed on the nozzle l3 as a reclosure.

In applying the cap 3| to the opened nozzle l3 the central dome section 32 is depressed as illustrated in Fig. 4, this action spreading the locking fingers 35 so that their inturned flanges easily pass by the extended shoulder l6 of the nozzle with its superimposed sealing disc rimparts 24, 25. The flexing cap may also be provided with a gasket such as a fibre or cork disc 48 located just inside of its top flexing wall 32.

When the cap 3| is in place on the opened nozzle this gasket rests upon the inner top edge of the remaining disc rim 24 where it rests on the reenforced edge I! of the nozzle. Upon flexing of the cap by side pressure upon the locking fingers 34 the central dome 32 again springs upwardly into normal position holding in the fingers 35 with the edges 36 securely engaged below the sealed rim edge 25 in a temporary closure. To take the cap off of the nozzle l3 it is only necessary to again press in and flex the central part 32 of the cap and spring out the locking fingers 34 to disengage its hold on the nozzle.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a container having a nozzle and means for sealing the discharge end of said nozzle, the combination of a reclosure member normally spaced from said nozzle in idle position on a wall of the container, and means separate from and secured to said container wall for confining said reclosure member against movement relative thereto, said confining means being rupturable to permit release of said reclosure member andits use as a reclosure for said nozzle after the latter is unsealed.

2. In a container having a nozzle and means for sealing the discharge end of said nozzle, the combination of a reclosure cap normally spaced from said nozzle in idle position on a wall of the container, and means separate from and secured to said container wall for partially enclosing said reclosure cap and confining the same against movement relative to the container wall, said confining means being rupturable to permit release of said reclosure cap and its use as a reclosure for said nozzle after the latter is unsealed.

' JOHN M. HOTHERSAIL. 

